Shona Riddell



Shona Riddell, who lives in New Zealand, has been writing for as long as she can remember. Both of her parents were writers, and Shona’s first article was published in 2000 in the New Zealand Herald. She was hooked, and in 2002 she completed a Graduate Diploma in Journalism from the Auckland University of Technology.  Since then she’s worked as a magazine writer, web writer and editor, and as content marketer for several companies.







Shona Riddell at Pencarrow Lighthouse in Wellington, New Zealand. Mary Jane Bennett became the keeper of this lighthouse in 1855, and she was the only woman lighthouse keeper in New Zealand history.



Shona’s latest book, Guiding Lights, shares the stories of lighthouse women from around the world and through the centuries, including heroic female keepers, isolated families, dedicated caretakers – and the lingering ‘ghosts’ of old lighthouses. The book includes more than 100 photos, paintings, and portraits, and also extracts from poems, books, and old newspaper clippings. The book is published by Exisle Publishing and is being released in October.



Shona spoke from her home in Wellington, New Zealand, to Light Hearted host Jeremy D'Entremont in late August for this interview.







Mary Jane Bennett and her children in 1859